


And We're Not Bruised

by kycantina



Series: jeankasa month 2019 [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Mikasa Ackerman & Eren Yeager Are Siblings, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 18:43:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21481081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kycantina/pseuds/kycantina
Summary: They listen to music when he paints her, the weird, indie-alternative mess she likes.
Relationships: Mikasa Ackerman/Jean Kirstein
Series: jeankasa month 2019 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538953
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	And We're Not Bruised

They listen to music when he paints her, the weird, indie-alternative mess she likes. Jean doesn't mind, he doesn't mention how chaotic it sounds anymore, they're at the point where he'll roll his eyes when it starts up, out of habit. It's not so bad anymore, but Jean won't tell her that. He's just happy to be with her, to store her memory in color and canvas. 

They're classmates, nothing more, stray paths that crossed in American History their freshman year and had stayed that way (he's not quite sure how, fine arts and agricultural sciences don't exactly mix). She's helped Jean the past four years, let him sit in her apartment and sketch her at work until his hands bruised, stained with everything between charcoal and acrylic paint. His portfolio was filled hundreds of pictures of Mikasa Ackerman. 

Today, she's sitting on the floor, in a crop top and sweatpants that read "Shingashina High" down the side. Her homework, diagrams and lab notebooks, is sprawled across her coffee table, abandoned. Instead, she shows more interested in him, more talkative than usual (he's told her countless times to pretend like he's not there, it's how they function: in affectionate, peaceful silence). "What's going to happen after graduation?" She asks the quiet.

"Well, you're going to work in Grisha's lab, the fancy one that I can't pronounce, and I'm going to either live under a bridge or sell my soul to the art industry." Jean says from her kitchen floor.

Mikasa cracks a rare smile at that, toying with a pencil. "I'll help you set up the tent." 

"How kind of you." Jean rolls his eyes. "My internship people still haven't called me back, maybe I should brush up on my begging skills."

"You'll find something. Lord knows about me, Grisha's still mad that I called Eren a bitch at Easter, not exactly perfect foster father-daughter relationship, who knows what that says about my job prospects." She keeps smiling, and Jean can't help but feel like she's up to something. Seeing Mikasa smile at him like that makes him feel like passing out. 

"Okay Ms. four point oh, I'll start worrying." He teases. "Even if it's not with Yeager and Co, you'll find something. You have researchers tripping over themselves to impress you. I bet they'll even pay off your loans to Grisha too."

"Ever the optimist, Kirstein." She laughs, getting up to look at his sketch (rough and messy, sprawling colored pencil lines carelessly sweeping across the page). “Hey, I like this one.” 

Jean covers it with his hand on instinct, trying his best not to blush. "Thanks?"

She laughs again, and Jean wishes he could save this moment, with her so close, for when they're tossed to the wind, living in different cities. "Take a compliment." Mikasa's phone buzzes from the table, which she rolls her eyes at. Either Annie or Eren, asking either for that night's homework or forgiveness. Her attention is lost though, Mikasa goes to check it anyways, sighing at its result. Jean feels his muscles loosen, feels himself remember how to breathe. "I hate my family." Eren, then. Jean's disappointment is palpable. 

"What's Yeager's problem now?" He asks, chin tilted to one side and sketch abandoned to the counter top. 

"Wants to get dinner and talk or something. Probably trying to get me to like him again after everything he's done."

"Like a bad boyfriend." Jean mutters, standing up to stretch. "Is he still worth it?"

"Legally he's still my brother. There's not much I can do about that." She smiles with only one side of her mouth. "Bad boyfriend, I like that. Speaking of,"

Jean swallows hard. 

"Any girls recently? Last one was that girl from your hometown, right?" Mikasa speaks with genuine curiosity, which just makes it hurt all the more. 

He shakes his head. "That was over a year ago, and no. No girls to speak of." 

"Sad boy." She clicks her tongue in faux disapproval. "Now you're dying alone under the bridge. I was hoping you'd have some sort of troll girlfriend to keep you company."

"You're one to talk, how long has it been, Ackerman?" 

"Mean. I can't even count. None since high school, I don't think. I think I kissed one guy at a frat party freshman year, but I don't remember it." Mikasa pouts, putting her phone down, the text still abandoned. 

"Sad girl." Jean smiles at her. "Guess you'll just be stuck with me."


End file.
